So far, this season has been a breath of fresh air for Wright City junior Lorelai Kellner.
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So far, this season has been a breath of fresh air for Wright City junior Lorelai Kellner.
The 5-foot-3 Kellner, who plays shortstop and pitches for the Wildcats (3-3), is fully healthy for the first time entering a season of high school softball.
“Softball is my life,” Kellner said. “I was hurt freshman and sophomore year, not being able to do anything; it just sucks. I feel like I always need to be doing something softball-related.”
As a freshman, Kellner dealt with inflammation between her growth plates and, as a sophomore, she was hampered by tendonitis in her elbow.
Now, Kellner is unencumbered by physical maladies, and it shows as she helps lead the Wildcats.
Through last Friday, Kellner led the team by hitting .529 with a slugging percentage of .824 to go along with three doubles, a triple and four RBI. Her elbow is also working optimally as she has been in the circle for the Wildcats, with a 1-1 record, a 3.00 earned run average, and 15 strikeouts over a team-high 14 innings, while mixing pitches in the 50-60 mile per hour range.
Wright City Coach Fred Ross said that Kellner’s work is the perfect complement to the team’s other leaders, seniors Ava Swaringen and Anna Klekamp.
Ross added that Kellner's IQ and passion for the game translate from club softball, where she plays with Top Gun under Coach Jeff Strange, to success on the diamond during the fall months for the Wildcats.
“She and Ava and Anna, our other two seniors, are players we can count on,” Ross said. “She brings that high level of softball experience. She’s played at an extremely high level in club softball. The great thing about her is that she’s always willing to learn. She’s a level-headed kid. If things are going wrong, she works hard to focus and make it better. When things are going right, she’ll work harder to make them even better.”
While she has big plans for her junior season, Kellner said the change of month recently marked an important off-field milestone.
“It’s amazing to finally be injury-free,” Kellner said. “College coaches began to reach out on September 1st. I just need to stay healthy and take care of my arm and be ready for college. I just want to find a place that feels like home and family.”
Make no mistake, while her future is important, Kellner said that she’s squarely focused on harnessing everything she has to help the Wildcats achieve as successful a season as possible.
“I want to be locked in at practice more; I think that’s important for us,” Kellner said. “That’s going to help us focus on the game. For me, I want to work hard on hitting different pitching speeds. We did very well at Boonville and then we had St. Clair and then Elsberry, and we just couldn’t hit. We have things we need to work on.”
That work will continue, beginning with tomorrow (Friday’s) rematch against Warren County rival Warrenton, who beat Wright City on the Wildcat’s home field last Friday by an 8-1 score.
